Harrison (and The Steelers) Pound The Ravens. Literally.

So I had a very good (and drunken) night last night! Hubby and I went to a local bar known to lean towards the Steel Curtain side of life and watched the complete domination over the Ravens. So I definitely had a couple of beers and inhaled a ton of second hand smoke (ugh, gross!) and cheered a whole lot. I also think I went on a drunken text messaging and emailing rampage to just about everyone I know about how bad ass my Steelers are!! Apologies if you were a recipient of either, I really have no idea who I emailed or texted. I think I pretty much was just replying to whoever was in my Inbox.

No new news on Ben's hip injury. He definitely was limping a little at the end of the game when he was walking off the field, but it seems that Ben and Tomlin are being very quiet on the topic since hubs and I stayed up to watch the post-game interviews and neither were even asked about it! I'm guessing they made the topic off limits with the reporters. I'm hoping that it was just a stinger and nothing serious. The fact that he went out and played a series somewhat comforts me but not completely. Ben's strength is his ability to move out of the pocket and if he's limited in that way then that will definitely change how well he plays. Though I just have to say, if he needs to sit out a game then next week's the game to do it. Luckily we actually have an easy stretch coming up in which he can recover with the Browns, Jets and Miami on the docket, so he definitely has time to recover before the Patriots game, which is huge. I just hope he doesn't push himself to get back in too soon like he tends to do because we really need him for that Patriots game, while for the next three I think Batch will do just fine. And just a Miami Alum ranting side note, yeah, all those people who kept saying Ben just "manages" the game and doesn't have the arm or accuracy to be a truly great QB, eat it! In torrent sideways rain Ben made five TDs and a couple of them were purely out of Ben's effort of scrambling out of the pocket, shrugging off tackles and putting the ball perfectly in his receiver's hands. I think he looked like a pretty elite QB last night, and pretty much this whole season for the matter. And I like how people like to point out that he played badly during the Super Bowl but totally forget how well he played in the playoffs and how he pretty much carried the team through the playoffs. Okay, rant over.

Oh, and Joey Who? Yeah, I think the Steelers continue to prove that they know Exactly when to let a player go. James Harrison (nicknamed Deebo and Silverback by his teammates) was seriously amazing last night! Just to put it in perspective, here are his stats for the game: 9 Tackles, 3.5 Sacks, 3 Force Fumbles, 1 Fumble Recovery, 1 Interception. And beyond that, he's been having a good year, so he's no one-hit-wonder here. Statistically he's our best Defensive player right now leading in Tackles, Sacks and Fumble Recoveries, and is within the top five for Assists and Interceptions.

Isn't it funny that they have the Steelers vs. Miami game on MNF in a couple of weeks? I guess they thought Joey Porter coming back to Pittsburgh would be big drama, but now that MNF game is looking to be pretty lame to all football fans but Steelers fans.

Update: I guess some reporters did ask about Ben's injury in the post-game interview with Tomlin, but for some strange reason it didn't make the TV clips on NFL Network. Here's what he said (basically exactly what Hubby and I thought almost word for word):

(Reporter) How is Roethlisberger after being in injured at the 6:04 mark of the third quarter?

(Tomlin) I think he’s going to be fine. I know that you guys need some information in that regard, so I will speculate. At this point, it’s a hip pointer. I think that’s all it is, of course we will confirm in the morning.

(Reporter) Why did you put him back in the game?

(Tomlin) So you wouldn’t ask me as many questions. No, he was fine after the initial pain subsided and we identified what we thought it was. He was fine to go back in the game. He felt strongly about it. He is persuasive.

That Big Ben is pretty persuasive and determined to play whenever he can. Seriously, Hubby said that he bet Ben persuaded Tomlin to get back in as soon as we saw him jog out onto the field!

Overall I rate this football weekend an A+++++++. With Purple Jesus, Big Ben, Deebo, some hard hitting Hines Ward blocks (especially the one on Ed Reed) and week high in my Fantasy Football league (for the second week in a row) I'm living good in the football world.

MNF: Steelers vs. Ravens

Be There...
...Or Be Square.

Purple Jesus Has Arisen.

I found some "Purple Jesus" apparel online thanks to Deadspin. Too bad they only have them in mens sizes, these t-shirts are pretty sweet ass, I'd probably have to buy one if they made one for women! Yeah, Vikings Nation is pretty much going nuts right now if you couldn't tell. We haven't had much to be excited about for years, so we're pretty much jumping all over this one.

Also got this "casual pose" Adrian Peterson pic from Deadspin. Is that a spaghetti strap tank underneath that zip up hoodie, PJ? Whatev, you're the Purple Jesus, you can wear whatever the hell you want! All the better to see your bulging muscles in that spaghetti strap tank after all...

Here's a video highlighting some of PJ's bombdiggity record breaking day:

BTVS - The Long Way Home: A Review

Buffy the Vampire Slayer - The Long Way Home by Joss Whedon is the continuation of the TV series in comic book form. The consequences of what Buffy and Willow did, activating all of the potentials slayers, are now being recognized as they are rounding up the newly realized slayers, and dealing with the backlash from those who are unhappy by this new superhuman race of girls.

Whedon stays true to his characters through and through, and brings in some old characters thought to be gone just for fun (although there is one little loop hole he admits to forgetting about when bringing one of them back). Buffy is overwhelmed by her new position as Leader of the Slayers, is lonely and desperately horny (poor girl!) Xander is still quirky, funny Xander, except now he is a Watcher/Sergeant of the Slayers, and he looks pretty bad ass with that eye patch. Dawn's going through some "growing pains" as all the book descriptions like to cutely put it and Willow is still a pretty wicked Wicca. The arc is great and is left unfinished, making you look forward to its continuation and the TPB also includes a standalone of one of the newly activated Slayers that was pretty cool.

While I think they might be pushing Buffy a little further than they would have in TV format with the whole menage-a-trois dream sequence, I think the stories fall in line pretty well with the flavor of the TV show (they did have the whole Spike throw down sex in the TV show after all...) It's good to see the old characters come alive again, after being a fan of the show since high school it feels like seeing old friends again!

I really loved this Buffy comic and can't wait to read the Faith arc, which is in the next couple of issues and sadly not in TPB yet. I've heard great things about them. Are you sick of vampires yet from all my reviews? I'm not!

5*

30 Days of Night: A Review

30 Days of Night by Steve Niles and Ben Templesmith is a dark, unforgiving and gruesome vampire story. The story takes place in Burrow, Alaska where the small town is preparing for 30 days of night, and secretly the vampires are preparing for it too. Such a simple idea that has never been explored before (at least to my knowledge), vampires taking advantage of the lack of sun in Alaska by having an all out feed-fest.

I absolutely love the art, it's dark and reminds me of the art in the Sandman series. While the story was good with some nice plot twists, it's the art the truly makes this comic great. It is absolutely gruesome at times, and yet subtle at other. The use of color and of blending colors is just perfectly done. My only complaint is that I wish I'd had a chance to get to know the characters better. I felt that the character developing was sacrificed in order to build up the horror element of the story. This is actually one area that I think the movie did better in than the book. However, this does tempt me into buying the second book of the series since I know Stella is in it, so maybe that was intentional.

A very dark and gooey Halloweeny read!

4*

Fray: A Review

Fray is Joss Whedon's future slayer. It's an eight-issue limited series comic book set about 200 plus years into the future. Demons had been cast out of the world by a slayer and her mystical companions in the 21st century, but now vampires are coming back and a new slayer must be called. Meet Melaka Fray, a street hardened thief. With some absolutely beautiful art by Karl Moline and a very well crafted story by Whedon, we have Fray.

Melaka has the hard edge of Faith, but the likable compassion of Buffy. She's gorgeous, tough and lives by her own rules, but she has her vulnerabilities. With a demon to replace her Watcher, Melaka grows into her slayer shoes and fights the vampires, which she always grew up calling "lurks." Bringing you some absolutely unforgettable characters (I love Loo!) and an edgy setting, Whedon brings you a good story that seems to end all too quickly. I was frustrated after finishing the TPB and not finding any evidence for future Fray projects, but just recently Whedon has said that Fray is not done! (See the video two posts below.) I really hope they bring her back because there is obviously more story to be told with Fray.

I hate to ruin any plot, so that's all I'll say, but for any comic book reader it's a great read, but for Buffy fans, it's a must read!

5*

I Heart Adrian Peterson.

Not only am I feeling the Offensive Rookie of the Year award going to my man A. Peterson, but I think he'll easily be in the running for Offensive Player of the year period.

As a rookie, not only is he leading in rushing yards with a total 1036 rushing yards, but he also has already broken the record for total yards rushed in a single game by rushing for 296 yards with 3 TDs against the San Diego Chargers in the Vikings' stunning win over them today! I was loving him before, but now he has a little shrine in the corner of my room... okay, so not really, but I damn well better be getting his jersey for Christmas this year, ladies cut, size small (hint hint, hubs). In addition to his amazing big play ability, Peterson already has the rep among his teammates as a hard worker, a team player, and a genuinely down-to-earth nice guy. What's not to love?

Beyond Adrian Peterson's amazing ability, the Minnesota's D, which is well known for being able to stop the run (I think they were second in the league against the run), they were also well known for being dead last against the pass. However, today they stepped it up, forcing one of Philip Rivers' worst games of the season so far. Our D limited the Chargers to converting only 25 percent of their third downs (4-for-16) and on average maintained about ten minutes time of possession over them.

I'm so ridiculously excited about this win. Yes, I know that the Vikes or 3-5 and not really in a great position in their Division with the Packers at 7-1 and the Lions at 6-2. But a win against the Chargers, a solid team on both sides of the ball, while they were hot (winning their last three games) is huge for the confidence of our team. I am worried about T. Jack though, the hit he took was nasty, and although he's going through some growing pains I obviously prefer him to Bollinger and Holcomb. I really think Jackson has a huge upside, he throws rockets, is mobile and is pretty accurate, especially with the short passes which fits the West Coast Offense that the Vikes like to run. Our WRs often make Jackson look worse than he is, dropping passes they should catch, which has been a problem with the Vikings for a while. Rice and Shiancoe are starting to come up big for us though, so I'm hoping they can keep it up and that T. Jack isn't seriously injured. I did see him on the sidelines after that nasty hit, which is good news.

I'm not completely off my rocker though. No, I don't think the Vikings are going to the Super Bowl or anything like that. I actually think it's a long shot for them to make the Play Offs, and I know better as a long time Vikings fans to get too hopeful about this win because the Vikings have a tendency to lose games their expected to win and to win games nobody, not even Vikings fans (yes, I did pick against them this week), expects them to win.

But the win still feels goooood.

As a side note, I don't know if I've ever mentioned it before, but boy do I hate intellectual snobs. In my job as a social worker, most of my co-workers have college degrees, and many have graduate degrees. In a meeting on Friday a high level director (with a MSW) was talking about how she was listening to NPR that morning when it cut out and this sports show cut in and how she could feel her IQ dropping as they talked. Now I'll listen to NPR but I also listen to sports shows and not being able to not voice my opinion I immediately turned to her and said, "Oh, have I mentioned to you yet that I'm a Huge sports fan?" And she just shrugged and said, "I just don't get it." It's totally fine if someone doesn't like sports, but to be such a intellectual snob about it like "I'm too smart for sports" is just fricking retarded. Sports and competition has been inherent in human beings since the beginning of time and to act like it is below you is acting like you're above being human, which is just retarded. The fact that so many people all around the world are completely pulled to and obsessed with sports means that it has power, and to dismiss it and not recognize the power is more unintelligent than any sports watcher I know.

Sorry, had to vent a little, as a huge sports fan and all, I guess I can't just intellectualize my annoyance away.

It's a Vampire Weekend!

Not only did my Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Season 8 trade paperback arrive in the mail today (I've been waiting forever it seems for these comic books to come out in TPB) but I also finally went to see the movie based on the 30 Days of Night graphic novel.

I wasn't sure about the movie from the previews... first of all, as a rule, I'm not the biggest Josh Hartnett fan. He has always seemed like a pretty face with less than average acting skills to me. However, he does well in this movie and I was impressed with the directing and filming of the movie. It keeps that dark artful element that the graphic novels have and adds a little bit of meat to the plot. It is definitely a graphic and gruesome movie, but the plot has its twists and the set up for the story was great. Even though I knew what happened in the end, I was still scared, shocked, and I even had some tears in my eyes for the ending. Yes, I'm a complete sap crying at the end of a "horror" movie, but it really was well done with the character build up and with the pace of the plot. I was really happy about it. I realize I have yet to write a review on the graphic novel! Shame on me. I'll definitely catch up on that this weekend.

You'll probably be getting a ton of Vampire graphic novel reviews this weekend actually as I still have to review Joss Whedon's futuristic slayer comic book Fray and I also have another Buffy spin-off comic partly written and supervised by Whedon, Tales of the Vampires to read and then review.

I'll be reading Buffy Season 8 as well this weekend as I recoup from this nagging sickness. A very Vampirey after-Halloween weekend!

FYI - for any other Buffy fanatics, which naturally leads to Angel fanatics, due to the success of the Buffy Season 8 series, Whedon has been involved with plotting out an Angel Season 6 comic book series, starting out right where Season 5 left off. It's being plotted by Whedon but written by Brian Lynch and is slated to come out with its first issue November 28, 2007. They'd better get these in TPBs too since I'm not one to goto comic book stores and get actual issues, I'm a book girl through and through, and that includes when reading comic books.

PS - A great video interview of genius Buffy creator Joss Whedon...

MySpace Comic Books: Joss Whedon answers YOUR questions!

Add to My Profile | More Videos

And I might be tempted to start buying Angel Season 6 and Buffy Season 8 single issues because the first five issues of Buffy Season 8 were so frickin' good! Though I hate to start buying single issues because I know I'll still have to buy the TPBs when those come out so it does seem like a waste of money, but I might not be able to help myself. Already started researching local comic book stores...

Indie Rock.

When I first heard of Indie Rock, way back in college, I had thought it was short for "Indian" Rock because at the time there was this popular Indian rapish-rockish song out. I thought the song was okay, it got annoying after a while and I was baffled to hear that there was this huge underground following for "Indie" Rock. When I finally found out that it was "Indie" Rock for "Independent" Rock first I felt like a complete retard and then I was really interested. Since then I've dived into the genre with the help of my Sirius radio which makes Indie Rock extremely accessible. I know that the popularity of Indie Rock has been steadily growing, even to the point that some Indie Rock bands are getting popular and hitting mainstream markets, so I thought I'd introduce it to those out there who are wondering why Indian music suddenly got so popular!

Indie Rock is so appealing to many because it tends to be more unique and creative, not being stifled or controlled by a huge recording company. It's refreshing to hear some actually new music rather than the same song recycled over and over again as Pop music or even mainstream Alternative music tends to do. Indie Rock has become so popular that there are even rumors that a popular Indie band, The Kooks, were manufactured by a major UK Recording Label in order to capitalize on the recent Indie Rock craze.

So if you are just getting into Indie Rock, let me nudge you in the right direction, which of course are my faves:

• TV on the Radio - This band has quickly become one of my faves. The lead singer is originally from Nigeria, and you can hear the African background in the music. The song I first fell in love with is "A Method." It just sends chills down my spine. Their music is very experimental and creative, mixing rock, electric, jazz among other music genres in a way that is very pleasing to the ears, at least to me.
• Blonde Redhead - I'm completely obsessed with their song "Spring and by Summer Fall" which is a completely awkward name that I can never remember correctly, but there is this one guitar rift (I'm probably using that term so completely wrong) that literally tugs at your innards. I can't even explain it in words, but it's really profound. Overall, their music has an eerie kind of rock flavor going on.
• Sea Wolf - An up-and-coming Indie band. I'm not sure if they really even have a full album out, they might just have an EP. Actually "Sea Wolf" is the stage name for Alex Church with a rotating ensemble of musicians to make up his band. The current single out, "You're a Wolf" has a very unique sound that incorporates I believe a cello in it. I really like this band a lot and am pissed to find out that I just missed them in Carrboro, NC last night!!

Let me know what you think!

And if you didn't already know, Radiohead is at the forefront of innovative merchandising, making their newest release available only from a specific website and the price? Well you can order the "Discbox" which includes extra materials in addition to the album for about $80, or you can download a digital version for... whatever you want. Yup, you heard me, you decide how much you want to pay for the download. To test it out, and sure, I might be a bit stingy with money, but this was for experimental purposes mostly I swear, I said that I chose to pay zero for the album and website said okee dokee and downloaded the album right to my computer! Radiohead has been one of the more unique and interesting bands of the past, but they've really pushed the envelope by not even having a recording label! Talk about Indie Rock. Many record companies are very nervous by this new idea, and they should be. It's fucking brilliant. To read more about it, check out this article. And for those music/techy/computer geeks (I don't even know what category this falls under) read this article about some controversies about the It's Up To You/Free download.

A BRIEF NOTE ABOUT NORTHERN UGANDA.

With his permission, I'm posting a speech that Jimmy Otim was asked to give on Northern Uganda. Jimmy was one of the amazing persons I met while in Uganda who was actively working in his community of Gulu (where much of the war has taken place) to help the people affected by the war. I'm posting his speech word for word as he emailed it to me and posting his contact information at the end per Jimmy's request. Please feel free to contact him with any questions or to see how you can help! I know I found his words powerful and moving, I hope you will too.

A BRIEF NOTE ABOUT NORTHERN UGANDA

I am Jimmy Otim, a writer and a researcher who has worked for several humanitarian organisations trying to quell the violence in northern Uganda, my native country.

I was born, grew up and now working in northern Uganda trying to make a contribution to the lives of the innocent civilian population living in the internally displaced people’s camps in this beautiful but trouble land.

As a background, the 21 year old conflict in northern Uganda could be rated as one of the worst areas of human right violations in the world history with over 300,000 people dead in Acholi sub region alone, 1.6 million displaced and living in squalid conditions and over 30,000 abductions recorded so far. The conflict has caused unspeakable suffering to the people of northern Uganda where civilians have become the principle strategic targets and victims of violence, a field upon which the conflict is fought and through which victory is sought. The conflict has interrupted the functions of every institution and left the region in ruins.

Unfortunately, many people are unconcerned about the war in northern Uganda. This attitude of many was captured by many utterances like “these people are fighting themselves”. Yes the war in northern Uganda is seen as a thing which should not concern us and unfortunately it also evokes sad memories of their own kind in many people’s mind.

My messages depart from other usual academic or political statements by individuals who always wish to theorised or win political support. It should provoke practical debate among the pundits of our time with the hope that many generations to come will not only live in peace and prosperous world. But a world with international concern which we currently lack. My message focuses on not who is wrong or right. It’s about people’s right to a decent life unmolested by the guns of war. In a sense, it is about whether we as people of the world have any human compassion left in us or whether we shall continue living like animals uncaring about the sanctity of life.

I personally believe that what is happening in northern Uganda is not our own fault. We are victims of selfish interests and in that sense everybody is guilty – our own communities as well as the international community. Sadly this tragedy going on in northern Uganda is behind the glare of the world.

I see northern Uganda being slowly transformed into a wilderness, I hear the approaching thunder that, one day, will destroy us too, and I feel the suffering of millions. And yet, when I look up the sky, I somehow feel that everything will change for the better that this cruelty too shall end, that peace and tranquillity will return once more.

In the meantime, I must hold on to my ideals. Perhaps the day will come when we will be able to realise them.

Together we can all do something to change the situation; how can we help?

Advocate for the people in northern Uganda (victims)
Stimulate dialogue
Provide technical assistance
Facilitate access to resources
Join the network
Support the Victims
Or at least pray

MR JIMMY OTIM
P O BOX 1177,
GULU, UGANDA
EAST AFRICA
TEL : +256782366380
EMAIL : otimjimmy@yahoo.co.uk

Play of the Week.

Of Course goes to the Steelers! I'm not biased, I swear...

It's Ben's can't-tackle-me play in which a Bengals was grabbing his ankle and Ben was on his way to the ground when he completed a pass to Santonio Holmes for a first down!

Yeah baby, talk about elusive. His rookie year playing he actually had a better QB rating while rolling out of the pocket than in the pocket!

Check out this great article on Big Ben, This One's For Hep. It's an especially good article if you went to Miami University. The article gives good insight on Ben and is also a really touching story about his relationship with Coach Hep. It's really a great article!

Crazy Halloween Story...

...And we haven't even gone out yet! We're pulling into my brother's parking garage, getting our Halloween night supplies out of the car (wigs, mojito ingredients, jager, etc.) and we hear this guy say, "Sir? Sir? Can you help me?" We look over and there's this guy stuck between a black iron fence and the next floor of the parking garage. After ensuring that he wasn't impaled (thank god he wasn't!) we try vainly to unstick him, but he was pretty wedged in there. So we call 911.

I so wanted to take a picture because it was just about one of the oddest sights I've ever seen, but obviously that would have been a bit insensitive. The poor guy had been stuck there for at least 30 minutes. Oh, and did I mention that the guy was for some reason in his boxers and his undershirt? It appears that he had wiggled out of his clothes after getting stuck at an attempt to make himself skinnier to try to get unstuck because there was a pile of clothes on the floor of the parking garage at his feet. After a while it was hard to keep a straight face. He had obviously been drinking and for some reason had thought he should climb up the parking garage to the fourth floor, where his brother lived.

So the firetrucks came and they unscrewed the fence from the wall so he could get out. If you can imagine about ten firemen, a couple of EMTs, police people and then me, my brother and hubby all crowded around this guy watching as they free him. Oh yeah, and some random little boy was there too.

And P.S. Hubby and I were talking about this last night and he told me that after the dude got free he had his hands up like he was under arresst and it took multiple people to convince him that he was okay and could put his hands down... this just keeps getting funnier and funnier! Soooo wish I had that picture! Hubs said we should have video taped it and put it on YouTube. Now That would have been funny.

I'm not sure if any alcohol induced craziness will top that tonight.

Uganda Updates.

I know it's been a while since I've updated you all on the Juba Peace Talks and the current situation in Uganda. I'm finally getting back into the swing of things with my life, working out regularly, reading more, and blogging again! So I thought I'd throw up some good Uganda links, some might be a couple of months old, but still extremely informative and sometimes shocking. As many times I hear the stories of mutilation and abuse put onto these children by the LRA it never ceases to shock me to read another. I truly hope it never ceases to shock and disgust me.

The Price of Peace in Uganda
A great article combining the heartbreaking atrocities committed by the LRA as well as informative updates on the progress of the Juba Peace Talks. I'll pull some of the most striking parts of the article to me, but please read all of it as it was extremely well written and informative.

A young woman I met had been abducted by the LRA along with other members of her village. She calmly described their first night's "welcoming meal," in which one of the villagers was killed and the rest forced to eat him, to instill a proper fear.

* * *

The final obstacle to a peace treaty is likely to be the treatment of Kony himself, who fears the justice he deserves. Kony is under indictment by the International Criminal Court, and he particularly dreads judgment in The Hague. Securing his surrender may involve a Ugandan promise of house arrest or exile to a country not party to the ICC -- the traditional tyrant's bribe.

Like Idi Amin in his Saudi exile, Kony may live for many years and die in comfort. This would not be justice. But many of his victims seem to prefer peace to a grand reckoning. And at least Kony's immense darkness would finally be confined to his own heart.

A blog called Return to Uganda focuses on the trials of children coping with war in Uganda. It's very personal, knowledgeable and focused on the issues surrounding the children affected by this war, which happens to be the longest war in Africa right now (21 years).

A great overview of all the issues surrounding justice and reconciliation in Uganda, as well as other issues such as IDP Camps and land rights.

The aftereffects of Kony's mutilations continue to hurt his victims... but the Ugandan government intends to help. An interesting and sad article on what the government intends to do to help all the maimed and mutilated victims of Kony's army.

While this article is about the Congo, being a neighbor to Uganda and having the worst rape epidemic of the world right now, I felt the need to post this. These crimes against women and children need more attention as they are a vast human rights violation. It's disturbing to think of these women and children being attacked, brutalized and violated as I sit comfy in my bed typing this. Ages of rape victims range from 3 years old to 75 years old.

To be lucky in life bears the responsibility to help the unlucky.

The Rockies: Myth or Legend?

Let me preface this post with the fact that I'm not an avid baseball fan and therefore my knowledge of the game may be pretty lame in comparison to those who follow the sport closely.

There are a couple of reasons I'm interested in the World Series this year. One, when there was a chance that the Cleveland Indians would make it, I started paying close attention to the playoffs. Second, when the Red Sox beat the Indians, I already was bitter and hated the Red Sox anyways because they're a Boston team and Boston fans are obnoxious. Sorry to my dear friends who are from Boston and are Boston fans, I love you guys, but in general you know I'm right... in all fairness everybody really hates Boston teams and fans because they're all pretty darn good and have been for a while. Us folks with normal teams get awfully sick of it! Anyways, thirdly I kind of got on the Rockies band wagon when visiting Denver, not only because of the excited and devoted fans there but also because I appreciate the "Moneyball-ish" homegrown strategy that the Rockies have employed. I also like the manager Clint Hurdle. I heard multiple interviews with him while in Denver and I like his style.

So anyways, back to the point. The Rockies were the underdogs of the series coming into it, and are now definitely the underdogs after the blow out last night. The Sox are apparently the "better team" according to every media outlet not in Colorado. Meanwhile I had a Denver bred Rockies fan tell me yesterday before the game that the Sox were basically "playing against God" because of the amazing and unprecedented winning streak that the Rockies were on.

And here is where the Rockies strength of character as a team comes to be tested. Will they be the myth? The team that was destined to win, but then choked and was embarrassed in the World Series therefore making all the heroic predictions untrue? Or will they become the legend, the little team that could? Yes the Red Sox are nationally followed. I was watching the game last night at a bar in Raleigh and the place was filled with Sox fans, and other than at my table, I didn't see a Rockies fan there. But as with David and Goliath, I will continue to root for the underdog. The little guys with some spunk and character. I hope they become the legend that the Pittsburgh Steelers did when they were the only sixth seed ever to win the Super Bowl (sorry, football and Steelers are my sport, I had to bring up One reference!)

I assume my little article here was neither insightful nor new news, but this is my shout out to The Rockies and I hope they can pull out a win tonight. Right now it's tied 1-1 in the fourth inning. Rockies are looking looser and more comfortable than last night, the balls aren't all falling the Red Sox's way, the pitching is more equal and if the Rockies still believe in themselves then they have a real chance to become legends. But they'd better get a win in before Beckett takes the mound again.

Damn, I love sports... and on that note please check out a new football blog by one of my most fave girls in the world, and coincidentally my twin separated from me at birth... Pink Cleats. She's smart, knows her football, is an awesome writer and an amazing person. Any football fan would benefit from reading her blog, but for those other female football fans out there finding a void of female angled football blogs and commentary, it's a must to check out. It's my blog pick of the week... okay, so I don't do a blog pick of the week, but if I did, that'd be it for this week!! Don't forget to leave her some comments and show her some love!!

On a personal note, you know you're living on a tight budget when your spouse tells you to not send in a bill yet because you don't have enough money in the bank account to cover it. Dang, that's living paycheck to paycheck fo' sho'!

The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven: A Review

The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven by Sherman Alexie is a collection of short stories focused on the lives of Native Americans in modern society. I have to say that I loved loved loved this collection. Alexie, rightly so, is known as one of the current greats in the writing world. His stories are poetic, insightful, funny and have a natural grace to them that makes the stories sing. The manner in which he mixes reality and old Indian myths and traditions is genius.

The overall tone of the collection is mournful and speaks of a lost culture. Alexie shows the beauty and art of the old Indian traditions and then he shows us the disconnect in the current Native American culture with the old ways and the modern world. I have kept myself somewhat educated on the completely disgraceful way the Indians were treated by our government and the complete destruction of their culture as a result, but reading it was absolutely heartbreaking.
Reading these stories, you get a feeling of hopelessness, loss and pain.

I cannot say enough about the creativity in which Alexie approached many of these stories. He takes storytelling to an entirely new level with metaphors and symbolism, and he makes it all sound so pretty while he's at it. Sometimes it was like reading pure poetry... sure poetry about an alcoholic Indian who can't support his family so they eat imaginary food for dinner, but pure poetry. And the greatest gift of the book is the imagination, the humor and the moments of love (and therefore hope) that he gives us. Yes, perhaps they are only glimmers of love and hope, but sometimes that's all people need.

It took me a long time to finish this collection, mostly because I carried it in my purse and used it as my emergency-stuck-waiting-in-line book, so I read it sporadically. However, as I got near the end I noticed myself putting off reading it because I didn't want the magical stories to end. I always knew that if I was stuck somewhere bored I had a whole world just waiting for me in my purse, and that was something that was hard for me to give up. But all good things must come to an end I suppose.

I Strongly recommend that everyone reading this go out and buy The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven by Sherman Alexie immediately. It changes your perception of life and deepens your respect for the delicate balance of culture and the forever effects of forcefully assimilating people into a culture so contrasting to their own. It is a powerful book and frankly, just fun to read!

An interesting tidbit on Alexie... you know you've made it when you've got a copycat I suppose!

5* (as if you couldn't tell by my glowing review)

Atonement: A Review

I had actually read Atonement by Ian McEwan right before I heard it was being made into a movie, and ironically I've been on a kick of reading books turned into movies.

The book is about a young girl, Briony, who through a youthful misunderstanding of a situation condemns an innocent man. The book is about guilt, despicable actions that can't be undone, and what people will do to hide from their actions or ultimately to atone for them. The story is heartbreaking and written with a vivid eye to the minds and hearts of each character.

Although the book started out slow for me, the build up is intentional. You get a sense of the slow paced, sweet gentility of Briony's life before the "incident." It is an innocent world she lives in and after certain events and her decision to condemn Robbie Turner, everything drastically changes and the pace quickens. You're taken directly into the war, where Robbie is fighting in order to escape his prison sentence, Cecilia is a nurse to escape her family and Briony is a nurse to atone. The vividness of McEwan's writing is stunning. The images he gives us of war are chilling and feel real and personal to you. It is a world that brings together misery, desperation, love and forgiveness. Easily my favorite part of the book is when we're taken through the war. I was stunned and moved by the images and feelings of the characters.

The ending is average and not as emotional or as vivid as the rest of the story. It's more functional than anything, giving context and tying up the loose strings for the story. I can see it's purpose, but the romantic and dramatic in me would have hoped for a more dramatic and emotional ending. Not that I feel the events should have played out differently, but the way it was written wasn't in real time, it was written from the future and lacked the immediacy of the rest of the book. However, I can see McEwan's purpose, perhaps some of the reflections he wanted Briony to make couldn't be made until she was much older, and so he felt compelled to bring the end of the book towards the end of her life. It did have a "full circle" effect, with her grandchildren reading her play for her birthday, and it was a satisfactory ending.

I can't wait to see the movie, I'm in love with Keira Knightley. Not necessarily for her acting skills but just because she's freaking hot!

4*

Steelers are IN-COM-PLETE.

This is the picture of Hubby and I before the game. I guess my sign was just a smidgen premature, but considering that most Bronco fans I talked to didn't even think they had a chance against My Steelers, I guess I was a little over-confident. And with Ben's "All I'll have to do is hand off the ball" comment and the way they carelessly threw the ball around, the weak O-Line play, our corners getting burned on just about every play and the lack of the D showing up for the last drive of the play and letting Denver win with a last second field go... I think it'd be fair to say that Pittsburgh went into this game a bit over-confident themselves. And as we all witnessed (painfully for me), when the Steelers are cocky, they suck (no pun intended... okay, fine, pun intended!) The Steelers thrive as the underdogs, and as Hubby said, he started getting nervous when everyone was picking the Steelers to kill the Broncos. I think our offense had moments of the Steelers we've been seeing this year, but our D was just pathetic and looked weak, and I can't even start with the penalties penalties penalties! The O-Line looked sloppy, with our center contributing to if not causing the fumble returned for the TD with an awful low snap, not to mention the fact that Ben was running for his life way too much for comfort.

It could be said that this is the first Real competition Pittsburgh has seen this year, and with the Steelers headed to Cincy for their next game, a place they've won in every year for the past couple of years, and with Cincy looking so horrible and inconsistent, we may not be truly tested again until the Baltimore game the following week. I'm hoping that we are the Steelers that I thought we were the first 5 games rather than the Steelers of last night, which really scarily resembled the Steelers of last year.

On a personal note, I was at the game and had a blast, even though I just about froze my balls off (figure of speech). The Denver fans were way easier on me than the Cincy fans usually are, and I suppose I could attribute that to the Division rivalry thing but I could also just say that Bengals fans suck ass. But one thing that did get on my last nerve, and I was actually even warned about this by a friend who used to live in Denver. After every freaking incomplete the fans say "And the pass is IN-COM-PLETE!" Now, it doesn't bother me for the ribbing part, it bothers me because it was just freaking annoying. Okay, get a new THING Broncos. I started yelling that out by myself every time the Broncos had an incompletion... funny, the Broncos fans did not seem amused.

Oh, and did I mention that the Steelers are going to the Super Bowl this year?? :)

P.S. I forgot to mention the way witty sign one of the Denver fans had, of course the Broncos' stadium showed it about three times, I don't think it made National TV though: Roethlisberger eats boogars.

Yes, very witty indeed.

We flew home on Monday, I just have to say that it was basically Steelers Nation in the Denver airport! Everybody still proudly wearing their Black and Gold! I love Steelers Nation.

On The Road...

I'm headed to Denver, Colorado this weekend to visit friends and of course goto the Steelers @ Denver game on SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL!! So make sure to look for my terrible towel waving in the crowd on NBC Sunday Night! There may be an embarrassing sign using the letters of "NBC" to say something witty or not so witty about the Steelers... and possibly face paint too...

See ya there!

HERE WE GO STEELERS!

My Daemon: An Ocelot

Pretty Cool, huh?

The Collected Short Stories of Amy Hempel: A Review

The Collected Short Stories of Amy Hempel, written by Amy Hempel of course, was raved by NY Times as one of the top ten books of the year last year. In a writing style that is unique, sharp and tight as can be, Amy Hempel writes of everyday events in such colors that the life meaning of the story bleeds out to you.

I'm one who typically likes long descriptive passages. I like writing that is clear and and written a bit elaborately. Amy Hempel is not this type of writer. And it is because of this that it took a while for me to get into her stories. There were some stories that were no more than two pages long and after reading the story a couple of times all I could come up with is: WTF? She has a randomness and a shortness with her stories that leaves a lot up for the readers' deliberation, and this usually drives me nuts! However, as I read on, I was able to get into her rhythm (and she definitely creates a rhythm in her stories!) I grew to appreciate her subtle writing style, the things she does not say but you understand completely. There is definitely a beauty to the subtle writing, the short and quick style. Her stories are often simple and seem to have a simple or even no plot, but they always have some statement or thought on life. Hempel often leaves us with a question on life with no answers.

I can see why her book of short stories was popular, not only is it unique, but it is also like a clear stream of water. Refreshing and crisp.

4*

I'm Not Dead!

Yes, I know, I've been incredibly, inexplicably quiet as of late. I can attribute this to a new job, rocking social life and the jet streaming life style and I hold, going to Vegas and all for a week. I've been busy and exhausted. Elated and Depressed. Just living life.

I'm going to try to be back and more consistent with my posts now that I'm settling down in my new employment. I have some books to review and some topics to vent on. Hopefully it'll be all good again and you'll all come back to me!

With Love,

mai wen

Bits and Pieces

A wonderful article about women writers in Uganda, including a great quote from one of the premiere women writers in Uganda, Monica Arac de Nyeko:

As I start to understand myself better, as I change, as my disappointments, hopes and visions shape my thought, I find that writing has become like a quest for me, mostly to understand myself, to explain myself to myself and then to understand that around me, why things are the way they are.

My writing is shaped by these battles which are my own, yet my anger and my quests are all so tied to my identify, history, my memory of many things, but especially of home the way it was and is with the war, the poverty.

As a writer, my own internal battles shape my motives and interaction with my audience to whom I try to offer an alternative for consideration, I question, I challenge, sometimes I rant, and shout and demand to be heard because in this space where so many things seem to be going wrong, I feel I have as much right to poke at people's thoughts with an offer of my own view of the way things should and can be/ It is my Uganda, my land, Africa, my world, my universe, too after all and it will be for my children.

Thank you to The Literary Saloon for the link. I've done some searching online, and unfortunately have not found a place in which I could purchase these books online or in the States. If anybody knows of a place, please let me know, it'd be really amazing for me to be able to read these new bright female voices from Uganda.


Hotel Steelers

Just a fun report on what the Steelers rules and requests are when they're staying in hotels on the road. My favorite is the "Heinz ketchup must be on tables at meal time" rule, ah, endorsements and all that BS just amuse me to no end.

Thank you to the Post-Gazette for that link.

A Quotable Threesome

The test of courage comes when we are in the minority. The test of tolerance comes when we are in the majority.
- Ralph W. Sockman

Any American who is prepared to run for president should automatically, by definition, be disqualified from ever doing so.
- Gore Vidal

You probably wouldn't worry about what people think of you if you could know how seldom they do.
- Olin Miller

The Sandman - Preludes & Nocturnes: A Review

The first volume of Neil Gaiman's famed Sandman series introduces us to the infamous Sandman. He is captured and imprisoned by a mere mortal by mistake, his capturer attempting to capture Death. In a quest to free himself and then regain his stolen possessions, The Sandman takes us to dark and interesting places. He seeks revenge and he gives relief. He visits hell and travels through people's dreams. He is The Sandman.

With art that is vivid and immaculate, the first Sandman book is dark and at times disturbing. The story is imaginative and makes you feel like you're watching a horror movie. Especially at the beginning of the book, you can almost hear the scary horror music in the background. It carries that creepy factor well throughout the book and pushes the line of creepy sometimes to just disturbing and icky. But it is well done and a really fun and interesting read. Of course if you're prone to nightmares, I wouldn't read this right before you go to bed as I did. The images definitely stick in your head and could haunt your dreams... if only you could call The Sandman to you...

5*

The Mysteries of Pittsburgh: A Review

I had read and loved Chabon's The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay. It was beautifully written, the plot was imaginative and huge and the characters were memorable and interesting. Other than one weird part of the book that takes place in Antarctica or something that was kind of boring and didn't totally fit, the book was a masterpiece. So when I heard that they were making a movie out of Chabon's first novel, The Mysteries of Pittsburgh, I thought I should check it out before the movie came out.

The Mysteries of Pittsburgh started out a bit slow. The writing was great and the characters interesting, but it seemed plotless and aimless, much like the main character's, Art Bechstein, plans for life. But then it picks up speed and doesn't slow down. As Art becomes entangled in a love triangle with a man and a woman, self exploration and sexual identity become the moving force of the novel. Then the mysteries of his father's work and the tragic death of his mother begin to shape events as Art's friend, Cleveland, gets involved in the underground work that Art's father is involved in. In a novel about love, trust and secrets, Chabon creates extremely realistic and yet unique characters who are the heart of the novel. A novel about the decisions we make in life that propel us in one direction or another and the consequences of these decisions.

I cannot praise Chabon's writing enough. He's simply a master. The fact that this was his first published novel amazes me. His prose is flawless, unique and beautiful. As a writer, I'm desperately jealous. I'm a little unsure of whether or not I liked the ending of the book. It works, but I guess I was a little disappointed and wished that certain characters had turned out differently. The strained relationship between Art and his father was one that I wish had been fleshed out more and one that I wanted to end up somewhere different. That is my only regret in a book that was daring and full of life and honesty. I'm a little nervous to watch the movie because they combined two of the main characters and made another set married that wasn't in the book. I'm not sure if I like those moves, but I'll have to see the movie when it comes out to see how they do with it.

Overall, this is the ultimate coming of age story, full of very Pittsburgh-y settings and all the confused feelings of growing up. It's also a tribute to those people in your past who make a huge impact on who you are and that you carry with you even after they're out of your life. For a book that has been compared to such classics as Adventures of Huck Finn and The Catcher in the Rye, it is definitely worth reading and already a classic in its own right.

5*

Quotes of the Day

Character is what you have left when you've lost everything you can lose.
- Evan Esar

Education is the ability to listen to almost anything without losing your temper or your self-confidence.
- Robert Frost

Search Words

I've read on many other blogs how their blogs have been found with certain odd search word combinations... today I was checking my site meter and found that somebody discovered my blog with this word combination:

amy big brother glamour model karma calendar

WTF?

Quote of the Day

The price of freedom of religion, or of speech, or of the press, is that we must put up with a good deal of rubbish.
- Robert Jackson

Steelers Win In A Convincing Way

Alright, alright, I know. It was just a meaningless preseason game, but either way, my Steelers looked good. Ben came out and in six plays drove down the field (flawlessly on his part) for about 80 yards and a touchdown with one 55 yard pass to Cedric Wilson. Then Ben was out. But Wilson stayed in for much of the first half, backing up his complaints of not getting thrown the ball much he played a great game with four receptions for 99 yards. He was basically catching anything thrown to him and making a strong statement to his QBs... throw to me and I will catch. Nate Washington, the WR from Tiffin U, Ohio whom everone has been talking up in training camp as going to have his break out year was disappointing. The first pass his way he let slip right out of his hands and continued to miss a couple of more passes his way, although one of them was back-up QB St. Pierre's fault, most were Washington's. He seemed to lack confidence and looked out of his element as he missed the passes thrown to him, and although he ended up catching at least one (I can't remember if he even caught more than that) he definitely hurt his position last night and disappointed the many Steelers fans (and players I'm sure) looking for that tall deep threat. However, Santonio Holmes who didn't see much action the first half of the game got some balls later including a 3 yard TD from St. Pierre. He also had an impressive diving catch on a short toss by St. Pierre. I'm looking forward to seeing Holmes come into his own and am expecting him to have a break out year, rather than Washington after watching last night's game.

Our defense looked sharp and our second round pick Woodley was impressive, matching the high praise I've been hearing about him from training camp. Timmons didn't play due to his groin injury. Rookie CB William Gay from Louisville had a sweet hit against Saints WR Meachem and later intercepted a ball... causing awe and excitement among Steelers faithful who haven't seen a CB who can actually catch a ball for years (Sorry Ikey boy).

With Willie Parker out due to swelling in his knees, we got to see a lot of our back up RBs, a couple of them unknown to me. Davenport was average at best as was Barlow. However, it was the unheard-ofs that interested me. FB Carey Davis and RB Gary Russell showed some promise and I expect we'll be seeing a lot more of them running with the 1st and 2nd strings to see how well they perform.

The major worry for me is again, our Special Teams. Even though now we have a plethora of Special Team coaches, Reed missed an easy field goal and should consider cutting back his crazy partying a bit. Actually, I'm hoping next year we draft a field goal kicker in the later rounds and give him some competition. Our return game was pretty sorry, with muffed punts, dropped balls and had little return yardage. Our hope that Willie Reid was the answer to our return woes has not come to fruition... yet. I still have hope that it will improve throughout the preseason. I can dream, right?

Final Score: Saints - 7 : 20 - Steelers

A Double Vampire Book Review.

Since both are Vampire stories and both were very short, I thought I'd be lazy and throw these two books into one review.

Tales of the Slayers by Buffy the Vampire Slayer creator Joss Whedon is a short comic book about the past slayers, before Buffy Summers. As an avid vampire lore lover and a complete Buffy addict, this was a great read! It's not too long but has some good stories and some interesting art depicting the slayers of the past. A fun read and a must if you're a Buffy fan as I am most obviously am.

5*

The Last Vampire by Christopher Pike was a reread by me. I know what you're thinking, Christopher Pike is only one step above R.L. Stine, and I'll admit, I went through my R.L. Stine/Christopher Pike phase, but I got over it and gave most of those books away. However, Pike's Last Vampire series I always kept due to my love of vampire stories. I hadn't read these books since Junior High and thought what the heck, let's see if they are still any good. The Last Vampire was a very quick and easy read, but entertaining. It is well plotted and dives into many different levels of emotion and history involved with the main character, Sita, who has been a vampire for five thousand years and was made a vampire by the first vampire. It was a fun read and I'm glad I read it. Although it didn't compel me to read the rest of the series right away, I may pick at them here and there during my required reread every five books.

3*

The Amber Spyglass: A Review

The Amber Spyglass, the last of the His Dark Materials trilogy by Philip Pullman, is a stunning novel that has moved and challenged me.

I must say that I'm very impressed by the daring and intelligence of this series. For those parents scared to challenge their children's thoughts and imaginations in the form of Harry Potter, this series is perhaps their worst nightmare. However, for those parents who would like to challenge and stretch the minds of their children so that they grow into more conscious and insightful beings, then this series is a gift. For this series challenged me in ways that stretched me and made me grow, and I don't know if you all noticed out there, but I'm not a kid anymore. The gifts that this series can give to children are numerous and I know that my children will read this as soon as it is appropriate for their age. And if they won't read it then I will read it to them.

In an unfolding tale leading to what you anticipate to be a difficult choice for our beloved heroine, Lyra, Pullman paints the world as it is (with of course a few added other-world creatures): not black and white, good and evil as many would like to believe in order to make the world more manageable and simple. But in grays and indefinites. Those who were evil are in fact not, those who are good falter and make mistakes. And in the end love doesn't conquer all, it just partly does the job and then the actions of people have to take it the rest of the way.

In a novel full of adventure and learning, it is clear Pullman's message. That it isn't blindly following the church that will keep our wonderful universe in balance and at peace, it's being conscious, happy, loving, thoughtful, intelligent and caring beings. It is caring about the fate of the other people in your, and other, worlds and not about just your own desires and wants. And in this leaves the decision of our heroine and the heartbreaking lesson that is contained in this book.

In a way I still am not sure that I grasp all of the parts of the lesson, and it makes me feel slightly embarrassed. After all, I'm an adult and this is a children's novel (perhaps more specifically young adult), shouldn't I know all the lessons already and being at an age now that I can grasp all the intricacies that are in a series meant for children? Well, I have to say that Pullman is skillful and intelligent in this series, leaving many subtleties and complex ideas lingering in the series that will take any child, or adult, a while to grasp and to ponder. Perhaps the series is written imaginatively with an aim for children, but the story and ideas are for all ages and I'm happy to say that it has stretched my mind in a new way to look at the world and I'm better for it.

And of course, with the end of any series, I'm profoundly sad that it is over.

And I will be left with many long nights pondering what my daemon is. Do you know what yours is?

5*

Tragedy In My Hometown.

A great tragedy has happened in Minneapolis, MN where I was born and in the state that I grew up in. My roots are deep there and I still have Family and Friends there, some of which I haven't been able to get a hold of since the phone lines are always busy when I try. I've had to resort to emailing those I care about in the city and pray that they email me back. My mother told me that when I was little we lived only five minutes from that bridge. A bridge collapsing is so unexpected that it does feel as if from a movie, but it wasn't a movie and four are already confirmed dead with 20-30 people still missing. The pictures and accounts of this tragedy are enough to make me cry.

Please read about the survivors' experiences, look at the devastating pictures and watch the videos. All we can do from this far away is to send our support and love.

Thank you to Speedcat for providing the links.

The Subtle Knife: A Review

The Subtle Knife, the second book of Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials series, was so tense and thrilling that I only took a day to finish it, even though it was slightly longer then The Golden Compass.

TSK continues the complex plot by taking us back to a world very familiar to us, our own world. There we meet Will, a daring boy who meets Lyra while running from some strange men into the world that she enters at the end of TGC book. The world, Cittagazze, that they meet is riddled with evil soul-eating Specters, but they are safe for the moment since it only attacks adults. The mysteries surrounding Dust are exemplified in this book as the scientific meets the spiritual and religious. As the different parts of the purpose for Lyra and Will begin to shape itself, there is intrigue and surprises in store. Indeed, Pullman sets the story up well where the characters still surprise you and it leaves you unsure as to what will happen in the end. You know that certain choices will have to be made by certain characters, but it is impossible to know what choice they will make. And it's even unclear what the right choice will be for them to make.

By the end of the book, sacrifices are made and the many worlds are all at the brink of war. It was impossible for me to not start the last book of the series immediately after finishing TSK, and it's been hard for me to put it down. This series is epic and intelligent, challenging us in the way we see religion, science, life and love. It is a smart book, carefully and brilliantly plotted and well written. The characters are complex, believable and compelling and although sometimes Pullman has a knack for being over-descriptive in setting up the scene (which I suppose can be important for the many different worlds we encounter in the book since the scenes are so unfamiliar to us - I'm just impatient and want to get to the plot and to what happens next) the book moves quickly and had me tense and on the edge of my seat throughout it all.

The last review for the third and final book of the series may indeed come to you tomorrow at the rate I'm going.

5*

The Golden Compass: A Review

The Golden Compass of the His Dark Materials series by Philip Pullman was recommended to me by a friend after I finished the Harry Potter series. She said she liked it better than Harry Potter and since the movie is coming out in December I thought I'd check it out, being a kids fantasy book junky and all.

I wasn't really sure what to expect with this novel. When I was purchasing it the cashier lady confided in me that this was her favorite fantasy series, even more so than Harry Potter. So my intrigue was peeked and I dove in as soon as possible. Having just finished the last HP book, I found it hard to not compare the two as I began to read. The first thing I noticed was that TGC was slower at the beginning while the first HP book started out very quickly and dove into the magical world and excitement right away. Rather, TGC took its time, slowly and unobtrusively introducing this different world with its daemons and talking polar bears. The way Pullman presents the story, these odd things intrigue you but you don't completely feel like you're in a completely different world like you do in HP when you enter Hogwarts. So many things are very much the same as in our world and many of the things that aren't the same are just as unexplained to the characters in the book as they are to us, so our confusion and intrigue are a part of the experience of following young Lyra around in her adventures.

It's because of this that the story feels more realistic than the HP books did, even though it is just as unrealistic. Pullman has a way of tricking you by his realistic writing style and by his manner of just letting the little fantasy elements of the novel unfold naturally without over-describing it. With HP, Harry himself was seeing much of the magic world for the first time, so it was displayed to us with extreme wonder and descriptive writing, in TGC, Lyra has grown up in the world that we are introduced to and so things are shown to us in a more subdued, matter-of-fact manner.

Lyra, the young heroine, is head strong, mischievous, completely likable and true hearted. She loves easily and goes about her adventures with a spirit that was made for it. As a girl raised mostly by male scholars, she is definitely a tomboy at heart. She leads us through a plot that is both intricate and intriguing. At the end of Book I there are still many questions left unanswered in the ingenious and complex plot. The evil feels more real and cruel in this book because of who is doing the evil and how it's connected to our heroine. The characters are memorable and moving and by the end of the book I was flipping rapidly through the pages to find out what happens.

And don't worry, although it may not be filled with as many fantastical scenes as Harry Potter, The Golden Compass holds its own with some great fantasy places and scenes that reverberate through your head and heart even after they are through. To imagine a great polar bear duel or the delightful little daemons at their person's side is thrilling to say the least.

I can't say whether TGC beats out my love of HP yet since I've only read the first book of the three book series, and they have very different tones, moods and worlds. I find them hard to compare as a whole. Harry Potter is most pointedly written for children, although adults have enjoyed it greatly, probably feeling child-like as I did while reading the series. His Dark Materials although was seemingly written for children, the smartness and complexity of the ideas makes me feel as if adults will get more out of the books than children. While children could enjoy the story and perhaps grasp the basic ideas, the ideas are so complex and original that I think only an adult could truly appreciate all Pullman put in the books. The books are mature and the ideas thrilling.
The His Dark Materials trilogy has already captured me. Can't wait for that movie, it should be a fun one! But for now, onto The Subtle Knife.

5*

Books Read in 2006

In an attempt to archive and keep my sidebar length from becoming ridiculously long I'm going to be listing the books that I read in 2006... now this unfortunately is not a complete list since I only started keeping track of my reads part way through the year, but it includes the bulk of them. The books I reviewed will be linked to my review, otherwise the link will take you to a place to purchase the book. So it will be to this post that the link under "Read in 2006" will now direct you to.

Here goes:

Half of a Yellow Sun : Chimamanda Adichie : 5*

Thirteen Moons : Charles Frazier : 3*

Winter's Bone : Daniel Woodrell : 3*

The Alchemist : Paulo Coelho : 4*

The Prestige : Christopher Priest : 4*

The Namesake : Jhampa Lahiri : 3*

The Remains of the Day : Kazuo Ishiguro : 4*

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time : Mark Haddon : 3

Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic : Alison Bechdel : 4*

The Divide : Nicholas Evans : 3*

Song of Solomon : Toni Morrison : 5*

The Known World : Edward P. Jones : 5*

One Hundred Years of Solitude : Gabriel Garcia Marquez : 5*

The Sound and the Fury : William Faulkner : 4*

Everybody needs to do a bit of housecleaning every once in a while... especially when there's actual work to be done... alright, back to the job hunt...

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows: A Review

It's finally out, the long anticipated (and possibly even dreaded) HP7.

This final Harry Potter book is definitely darker than the others, with more danger and a complex mystery and plot that keeps you intrigued. I finished the some 800 page book in less than 2 days.

Without giving away the plot I will say this:

• I wasn't shocked by any of it, despite many of the reviews suggesting I would be. I had guessed who was on whose side correctly, though had not guessed for what reason (which was very interesting).
• The plot was more complex and interesting than any of the other books and really the gem of the book.
• It was interesting to see some of the main characters show their real character, the good and the bad.
• I wasn't devastated by any part of the book as many of the reviews suggested and did feel a little bit like Rowling took the cheap way out in that regard. I didn't cry once, which says a lot since I am easily moved to tears by books and had cried in the last two books.
• I really loved how the plot tied together at the end, but did not like the very last chapter... I would have rather just done without it, it seemed a bit too much and completely unnecessary.

Overall, the book was wonderful. For some reason I thought it'd break my heart and really pull me to pieces, but I didn't feel that way for this book, which unfortunately made the experience a little less deep for me. There was suspense but not the crazy fearful you can't stand to put the book down for a second suspense. It was a comfortable suspense and near the end I pretty much figured out how things were going to turn out... not necessarily how they get there, but how it all ends up. A good story from the master plotician J.K. Rowling and a satisfying ending to a wonderful series and a wonderful world. It always saddens me to read the last of a series like this because I know that there will be no more new stories from that world that I've fallen in love with, but it ended well and it ended right.

4*

The Happiest Day Of My Life

Okay okay, the second happiest day of my life, after that whole wedding day thing...

My favorite Defensive Steeler Troy Polamalu has signed a 5-year extension worth 33 million with about half of that guaranteed! I was sweating this signing because I just got a Polamalu jersey last season and he's one of my absolute favorite players. Great move by the Steelers, Polamalu is one of those irreplaceable and extremely talented players that are hard to find. Nobody deserves to be the highest paid Steeler of all time and the highest paid safety in the NFL more than the best safety in the NFL, Troy Polamalu. And he's such a beloved Steeler by players and fans alike, as much as it was hard to let go of Joey Porter (although I think it was the right move) and how hard it will be to lose Faneca next year, it would have broke my heart to lose Polamalu. Now we just gotta get Ben signed for the rest of his playing career and I'll be snug as a bug.

For those of you who don't know the good character of my soft-spoken guy, here's a quote from him about what the contract extension means to him:

"It means that I have to work harder and go out and earn it. That's what it means to me," Polamalu said. "So it's very exciting, especially for my wife and me. We feel very welcome in the city and I think this contract really puts our roots down here."


Foooootballl season's on its waayyyy! Wahooooo.

Quiet.

Apologies for being so quiet as of late. Mostly it's because I've been awfully boring and don't have a lot to blog about...

I missed my Harry Potter 7 delivery on Saturday due to being out of town. Why didn't they just leave it by the door? The bastards! So now I have to wait until tomorrow and I have guests visiting me, so it'll be awkward trying to get away from them to get some quality Harry time in.

I'm sure a review will come soon after I zip through that, until then, keep your spoilers and thoughts to yourself!

Discuss.

I was interested in a quote I saw today and am calling all my writer readers to discuss:

A writer is a person for whom writing is more difficult than it is for other people.
- Thomas Mann

I'm not quite sure whether I agree or disagree yet, but am very intrigued by the quote, I'd love to hear others' thoughts on it.

Quote of the Day

Good judgment comes from experience, and experience comes from bad judgment.
- Barry LePatner

I'm at a crossroads in my life right now. Unfortunately the financial aid I was looking for to support my graduate school did not come through, and so now I have to decided whether to pay the $21k and go to school now or wait and hope that I can get in-state tuition in a year. I suck at big decisions like this, but I'm leaning towards waiting. I just can't justify paying $21k for a Social Work degree, so that brings up the question as to what to do for a year? I feel somewhat like my life is in limbo, which drives me nuts!